Chinches en Antigua

July 5th - 6th

Greetings all! We have arrived to GUATEMALA! The first day was a little tumultuous, but we are here and loving it now!

The trip started with some chaotic running around and packing throughout the morning - you would think a nurse would learn a few time management skills, apparently I fell asleep in that course. I'm almost certain my backpacking bag was packed in less than 10 minutes... and I have learned that some crucial items (ie deodorant, sleep shorts, bras, etc) didn't make it in there - luckily, nothing that can't be purchased at some point. No worries, deodorant obtained immediately.

Lesson 1: Don't fly Spirit Air unless absolutely necessary. Who charges $40 for a carry-on?

Lesson 2: Do not pack a thick, heavy, wax-covered travel book in the bottom of your rucksack - security will then undo all of the careful packing of your sack that you'd done the night prior. Poor Hannah. Also, who knew literature was such a threat to our national security?

Lesson 3: Try not to go 50-plus hours without sleep prior to a long trip (I know, you were right Dad). No one likes a hallucinator on their flight. (EB - "I just want to wash my hands!)

Lesson 4: Never get seats in aisle 10 of any Spirit Air flight (just in case you don't heed my advice from the first lesson) - the seats don't recline, as they are positioned directly in front of the emergency exit row. Are those extra 2.7 centimeters really going to hinder people's chances of exiting should an emergency actually occur? Also, it's very difficult to sleep leaning forward.

Lesson 5: Again, should you disregard lesson 1 and 4, any movement of the armrests or chairs of other passengers (who were lucky enough to recline) sounded like a playground full of screaming 2-3 year-olds who were all featured on "Super Nanny." If that is your kinda thing, Spirit Air is happy to serve.

Lesson 6: Guatemala loves color and color loves it. Everything is so quaint and cute. The terrain itself is hilly with grass-covered volcanoes in the background. And on the ride over, we learned that the lane lines were mere suggestions.

Lesson 7: Trust your instincts. A woman passed us casually as we were roaming the streets pretty desperate to put our bags down and said "if you need a hostal, that one is only Q35/night." In the previous traveler part of my brain, red flags went up everywhere...but the frugal part of my brain overpowered all others - I'm sorry, but $5/night. Done. I even looked around the place and inspected the upper bunk for signs of bedbugs. All clear at that time.

Lesson 8: You know you are eating like a local when you eat at a café that has no menu. People just rolled up, stated some plate typical to the area, and waited. Love it.

Lesson 9: It is going to be a long night when your travel partner awakens at 12:30am and asks "Do you feel like you are being bitten by something?"

Lesson 10: Bedbug bites don't always happen in a linear grouping of 3-4...mmm mmm, nope. Just so you know.

Lesson 11: When suspecting bedbugs, please confirm with a headlamp and look at the bedding. If it appears that golden-brown, pinpoint "animales" are having a rave party and dancing it up where your head just was laying, then it is safe to assume they have won.

Lesson 12: Sometimes the paranoia that ensues after such trauma (no joke, I heard harsh, sharp orchestral notes in my head when I finally saw them doing the Dougie on my sleep sheet) can only help you. We walked to Hostal Holistico, which can from this point forward be referred to as bedbug free haven (BBFH), and nearly cried from the cleanliness that the other hostal lacked. In total, I would estimate we spent 3 solid hours inspecting for chiches that night/morning.

Lesson 13: Always have a little Zofran on hand. Apparently exhaustion, eating cucumbers on a salad, and PTSD of chiches is a recipe for nausea, vomiting, and other unpleasantries. We eventually got to bed, both of us having some type of nightmare that we had to go back to Umma Gumma. That's right, I said Umma Gumma. I know what you're thinking and I agree... who in their right mind would stay in a place with that name? Again, 55-plus hours of no sleep at this time = crazy bad judgement.

Now that the craziness has passed, we will now refer to "Hannah's and Audrey's First Day of Adventure" to be today, July 6th. We call redo.



The BBFH has been amazing, full of hammocks and hammock swings all surrounding an open courtyard and lots of places to recharge. Plus, free yummy breakfast. After great conversations with Allison (Vancouver), Jill (Australia), and Mary (Peace Corps volunteer that knows my co-worker's daughter who is also volunteering in Guatemala - small world), we are feeling pretty good about this whole travel business. A special thank you and shout out to the adorable Guatemalan man who got rid of the chiches from out sleep sacks and clothes without the use of hot water - apparently, drops of chloride/bleach should do the trick. I'm almost certain a small tear formed in my right eye without my knowledge when he told me no one used hot water for laundry. Thankfully, his 11-year smarts about the business paid off.... we spent another 35 minutes inspecting everything again and he passes. Job well done. Things are looking real nice!

Much love to all back home! You are missed!